My Real Destiny
by Cyri's Alter Ego
Summary: "He was WindClan's fiercest warrior, before StarClan called him to be a medicine cat..." A short one-shot about Hawkheart. Spoilers for Bluestar's Prophecy.


**A/N/: This idea's been trying to get me for a while now. It started off wanting to be a multi-chapter fic, but it decided it was happy to settle for being a one-shot. I'll be back to working on Snow Leopard when this is finished. So... here goes!**

**DISCLAIMER: Don't own Warriors. If I did, we'd see a lot more of Breezepelt.**

My Real Destiny

It wasn't fair, and StarClan knew it.

I was honoured to serve my Clan as a medicine cat, of course I was, and deeply gratified that StarClan chose me. Well, that's what I told the Clan, anyway. Deep down, I was seething.

I wanted to feel flesh tear beneath my claws, hear the agonized yowls of cats as they struggled under my grasp. I wanted to see the light leave the eyes of my enemies as they fell limp, their resistance growing weaker and weaker.

And, above all, I wanted to be _leader_. Guiding my Clan through times of trouble and punishing bad behaviour mercilessly. What I wouldn't give to have _that_ amount of control over a large group of cats...

But, no. Apparantly, I was bound to serve WindClan as a _medicine_ cat. Stinking of herbs and staying in camp all day. I couldn't even _hunt_, for StarClan's sake. I just had to care for sick cats.

I didn't expect StarClan to call _me_ to be WindClan's medicine cat. Before this, I was WindClan's fiercest warrior. Cats cowered if they saw me join the battle. I was possibly the most feared warrior in the forest. And I wasn't even deputy.

This angered Reedfeather. He could see that cats listened to my orders far more readily than his. He does a fair job as deputy, I suppose... But when Heatherstar dies, I wouldn't want to be led by a leader as soft as _him_.

That's why Reedfeather looked so relieved when StarClan told me that I was to be the medicine cat. I, on the other paw, was outraged. Medicine cat? _Me_? The greatest warrior in the forest?

I refused to accept it, at first. I kept quiet about my dream, but StarClan were sly. They sent the same dream to the former medicine cat, Thrushpelt, and then to Heatherstar. And then there was no escape. I blurted out some speech about being honoured to take on the role, just to get away from the staring.

The Gathering was the worst. I remember it well. Far, far too well.

_"We have a change in our ranking. Hawkheart has recieved a dream from StarClan, and will now serve alongside Thrushpelt as the newest WindClan medicine cat."_

_A stunned silence met these words. A dark muttering broke out, a lot of cats sneaking glances at me. The weak cheers of my already-warned Clanmates were the only other thing to hear, but they sounded hollow and insincere._

_I wanted to bury my head in my paws and wail like a kit for my mother. But I couldn't let down my proud reputation, so I simply stared down my nose at every cat, as if to say 'I don't care. You can whisper about me all you want, but I don't care.'_

But I did care. Too much.

I hardly see StarClan at the Moonstone. There's just a wide plain. Sometimes, I see a shimmering, vague shape of a cat. The cat looks at me sympathetically every time. But before I can ask - well, _hiss_ - why it had to be me that was the WindClan medicine cat, the shape fades in a starlit glitter. And I awaken, as angry as before.

That's why, on that night, I couldn't help myself. ThunderClan were attacking. A pretty silver-furred she-cat had broken into our medicine supplies store. I felt the blood pound in my ears, remembering the many battles I had fought in before StarClan betrayed me.

Unsheathing my claws, I slashed down her spine. I felt triumphant as I watched the blood flow out of the long wound I had created. Energy surged through me as she coughed and spluttered, the life bleeding out of her.

I am Hawkheart. Medicine cat of WindClan. But this isn't where I'm supposed to stand. I'm still a fearsome warrior.

This is my real destiny.

**A/N/: Very short one-shot, but I hope I managed to get inside Hawkheart's head. He was always an intriguing character, I felt...**


End file.
